AYLS – Chapter 56

On the way back, Lin Qiao’s mood was so complicated that she didn’t even know how to describe it. She had never imagined that she would walk this path again… ah, probably more than once. She would have to go through it again tomorrow.

Everyone in the compound knew they had gone out to get their marriage certificate today. As soon as they reached the entrance, the kids who had been waiting to get some candy rushed out from the courtyard, clamoring for Teacher Lin Qiao to give them sweets.

Lin Qiao: “…” She hadn’t expected this at all and was completely unprepared.

Gu Huayuan, however, reached into his military-style messenger bag and pulled out candies, tossing them to the children.

The kids, with their mouths full, quickly said lucky words wishing them a happy marriage. Then they all followed behind, shouting about getting wedding candy.

Gu Huayuan smiled and pushed the bicycle, carrying Lin Qiao along into the compound.

In this winter, the army wives were all free, and when they heard Lin Qiao and the others were back, they also came over to watch the excitement and offer their congratulations.

As they walked along, they received countless little surprises. Gu Huayuan alone couldn’t hand out all the candies fast enough, so Lin Qiao helped distribute them too.

Perhaps because she had heard so many congratulatory words, she only realized belatedly that she and Gu Huayuan were married.

Even if it was in a game world, they were now a legally married couple.

Lin Qiao: “…”

So this is what it feels like to be married? Why does it feel like nothing has changed?

Lin Qiao’s family courtyard suddenly became lively. The men came over to congratulate Gu Huayuan, while the women gathered around Lin Qiao, admiring their marriage certificate.

After all, their previous weddings had been held in their hometown. Lin Qiao and Gu Huayuan were the first couple to get married locally. After everyone had looked, they went home.

As soon as everyone left, Li Ermei ran over.

She had just finished work, still in her work clothes, carrying her bag.

As soon as she entered, she exclaimed, “That Su Weizhen didn’t come? I knew she was unreliable. She’s always missing when there’s something important. I, at least, am dependable.”

Lin Qiao looked at her. “Su Weizhen went to work. How could she come?” she thought. Friends… you have no idea how much you both have done for me.

Li Ermei didn’t know what Lin Qiao was thinking. She took out a bright red blanket from the basket she had brought.

She said it was a wedding gift for Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao was surprised. “For me?”

“Of course! If it were for anyone else, I’d still be reluctant to give it.” Actually, she had been reluctant before to give Lin Qiao anything, but Lin Qiao had bought her so many things already.

To keep Lin Qiao as a generous friend, she would have to be willing to spend big.

“On top are pomegranates. They were embroidered by one of our old skilled seamstresses—so beautiful.”

Li Ermei boasted, “Once you lay it on the bed to sleep, it’ll bring you a whole bunch of chubby babies.”

Lin Qiao immediately felt that the sheets were a bit prickly.

Li Ermei subtly patted the sheets, hinting there was another surprise hidden inside for her. She insisted that Lin Qiao peek secretly, study it carefully, and be careful not to get hurt later.

Lin Qiao: “…” Get hurt from what?

Before she could check, Su Weizhen returned.

She had specifically rushed back at noon to deliver a gift to Lin Qiao. She was worried that if she came at night, it would be awkward, so she hadn’t even gone home first.

As soon as Li Ermei saw her bringing a gift, she immediately began bragging about the sheets she had given.

Su Weizhen said, “What era is this? Still doing all that?” She then took out the wedding gift she had brought for Lin Qiao.

A red wool sweater, a pair of wool pants she had knitted earlier but never worn, and she also included a red envelope.

Lin Qiao held the envelope, almost in disbelief—she, she had money again!

Li Ermei leaned over to look too, asking how much was inside.

Su Weizhen said, “I’m not telling you.”

“Who cares? I have one too! Old Chen at my house told me to make a big red envelope.” Li Ermei proudly pulled out her envelope.

The night before, Old Chen had voluntarily given her money to make a big red envelope, saying she shouldn’t take advantage of people like that.

Though it wasn’t comparable to what Lin Qiao had bought for her, for her, this was the biggest red envelope she had ever given. She felt she might never again be willing to send such a large envelope.

Lin Qiao held the envelope, so moved she almost teared up.

What kind of divine friendship was this?

She reached out to hug them both. “I will never forget the precious bond between us.”

Su Weizhen and Li Ermei: “…”

Indeed, friendship could be measured in money.

Both of them were in a hurry to get back and cook lunch, so they didn’t stay long. After giving their gifts and saying goodbye, they left.

Once they were gone, Lin Qiao excitedly tore open the red envelopes.

She loved opening red envelopes the most.

Su Weizhen had put in fifty yuan.

Ermei had put in ten.

Sixty yuan in total.

Enough, enough—it was enough for her to live in the capital without scrimping. She wouldn’t need to waste Gu Huayuan’s money anymore.

When Gu Huayuan came in, he saw Lin Qiao’s face flushed with excitement. Her mood was like the summer sky—changing by the minute.

“Why so happy?”

“Hehe, I got red envelopes from Su Weizhen and Ermei.”

Gu Huayuan said, “Oh.”

“Aren’t you going to ask how much?” Lin Qiao raised her eyebrows excitedly. “Why would I tell you if it’s for you?”

“Su Weizhen gave fifty, Ermei ten. My friends really didn’t get to know me for nothing.”

Lin Qiao laughed at her own words.

Gu Huayuan thought: Just by buying things for people and spending all your savings, they still think being friends with you is worth it.

Seeing her flushed face, he suddenly remembered something awkward.

Earlier outside, a few comrades had asked if he wanted help moving dorms.

He had considered it, but without telling Lin Qiao, he had restrained himself and declined.

Now he couldn’t help thinking about life after moving in.

He took money from his pocket and handed it to Lin Qiao.

“This is some red envelope money gathered from a few leaders in the regiment.”

Originally, the soldiers had chipped in too, but he hadn’t accepted it, thinking everyone was struggling. Only a few leaders who were close friends sent gifts, so he accepted those.

The amount wasn’t much, just a few coins here and there.

Lin Qiao saw, and more money came in.

She asked, “All for me?”

“Mm, keep it.”

“…”

What a day of ups and downs. “I never thought I’d get this much just for getting married…”

Lin Qiao quickly organized the money.

Gu Huayuan smiled helplessly, realizing Lin Qiao had probably never learned much about social etiquette before.

These red envelopes all had to be returned eventually. He just had sent his ahead because he was marrying late.

It was fine—having someone in the family understand was enough. He would slowly teach Lin Qiao over time.

He reminded Lin Qiao to pack the clothes she would wear, as they would return to the capital early tomorrow.

Don’t bring too many things; everything would be available there. Just two sets of clothes were enough.

Lin Qiao thought, she didn’t have much to bring. If not for the fact that underwear wasn’t easy to give away, she wouldn’t have prepared a single scrap… Wait, she seemed to have forgotten something.

She suddenly remembered the clothes she had sent to Su Weizhen’s house that morning.

She had originally planned to sell them. She wouldn’t want Su Weizhen to see them and come over now. If Gu Huayuan found out, it would be hard to explain. Plus, she still had to wear those clothes in the capital, so she couldn’t sell them.

She quickly found an excuse to go to Su Weizhen’s house.

Su Weizhen had just seen the clothes and looked at the note on them, completely puzzled.

She was thinking about whether to look for Lin Qiao when Lin Qiao came hurriedly, asking about the clothes.

Su Weizhen said, “Why are you selling clothes?”

“…I don’t like them anymore, want new ones.”

Su Weizhen was surprised that Lin Qiao actually knew how to sell unused clothes.

“Then are you still giving the money to Gu Huayuan?”

“…I want him to know I’m saving money.” Lin Qiao was grateful to herself for thinking fast.

Su Weizhen: “…” Lin Qiao really had her own methods of managing men. No wonder Old Gu treated her so thoughtfully.

She smiled, “So are you still selling them?”

“…Not selling! I suddenly feel like I still like them a bit. I’ll take them home and wear them for a while.”

“I think we shouldn’t sell them either. They’re so nice—it would be a shame to sell them.” Su Weizhen handed the clothes to Lin Qiao. Clothes weren’t easy to come by these days.

Not only did you need money, but you also needed a ration ticket, and it had to coincide with new arrivals. “Your old Gu isn’t short of money, there’s no need to sell off idle clothes.”

Lin Qiao nodded, thinking of going back. Then she remembered that Su Weizhen came from the future; she might know what would happen to Gu Huayuan.

After she left, she wouldn’t return to this world. Li Ermie’s fate had already begun to change; in the future, she certainly wouldn’t end up the same way.

Su Weizhen was the heroine—she would definitely live well.

Gu Huayuan… it was only Gu Huayuan she couldn’t let go.

“Zhenzhen, tell me, what do you think will happen to our Gu Huayuan in the future?”

Su Weizhen: “…” That was really a pre-marriage panic. Getting married and still worrying about life with Gu Huayuan?

She smiled, but when she thought of Gu Huayuan’s ending in the memoir, the smile faded.

She worried—if something really happened to Gu Huayuan, what would Lin Qiao do?

Now she was certain that Lin Qiao wasn’t the kind of person who couldn’t share hardships. Since she wasn’t in the memoir, Xiaoqiao’s ending probably wouldn’t be great either.

But that was in the memoir. She had come to this world and could change everything.

So she confidently assured Lin Qiao, “Gu Huayuan’s future will definitely be bright. You’ll live a happy life together.”

Lin Qiao smiled at once. “That’s good then.”

…

The next morning, Lin Qiao followed Gu Huayuan to catch the train back to the capital.

Perhaps yesterday’s experiences had been too overwhelming; today, Lin Qiao felt calm. She thought that since they couldn’t leave immediately, she might as well enjoy exploring this world.

They had booked a sleeper compartment. Lin Qiao didn’t have to do anything, just eat, drink, and lie on the sleeper while watching the snowy scenery outside.

Gu Huayuan, mindful of the complex train environment, didn’t even let Lin Qiao leave the compartment. He had even brought the towels for her to wash her face.

Curious, Lin Qiao asked, “Gu Huayuan, how many people are in your family?”

She realized she knew nothing about his household.

Gu Huayuan held his forehead and laughed, “I forgot to tell you. There’s my dad, Aunt Zhang, and my younger siblings…”

Far away, in the military district compound in the capital, Zhang Wenjuan was busy tidying up the house.

With the New Year approaching, her workplace was busy, and although the kids were on vacation, they were particularly noisy and troublesome.

The key issue was that Gu Huayuan was bringing his new wife back to the capital for the wedding.

Old Gu had even rushed back this year to celebrate the New Year with them.

Zhang Wenjuan felt both happy and a little bitter.

After not celebrating the New Year at home for several years, the eldest son returned, and so did he.

So without Gu Huayuan, wasn’t it Gu Bicheng who was getting married?

Especially since Old Gu went around inviting people, wanting to host a wedding for his son—it was rare for him to be home. The kids wanted to see him, which wasn’t easy to arrange.

Besides this, Zhang Wenjuan worried about one thing: after Gu Huayuan brought his new wife back and the wedding was done… would the new wife stay here or go with the military?

It wasn’t idle speculation—the life in the capital was certainly much better than in the northwest.

The home environment was good, and his wife had previously been a maid and probably hadn’t had a good life. Suddenly living in a small western-style house, she might not want to leave.

Just thinking about it made Zhang Wenjuan feel bitter. She definitely couldn’t accept another female head in the family.

While she was feeling sour, a man in a military uniform with a stubbled face walked in, laughing heartily. He announced that Gu Shitou was coming back.

“Shitou” was the name he had given his eldest son. Back then, Gu Bicheng couldn’t read much, so he thought “Shitou” sounded strong and easy to raise, sturdy. The walls of the country had to be strong.

The name stuck for many years. Even though Gu Huayuan’s mother had given him a formal name, he never changed it.

Father and son hadn’t seen each other for years. Now, reunited, Gu Bicheng was overjoyed.

“Is the house ready? The new wife can’t arrive without a place to stay.”

“The new bed sheets and covers have all been changed.”

“And the food—those lamb and beef legs I brought, they’re all prepared.”

Zhang Wenjuan scowled, “It’s all ready. Since they’re married, there’s no need to be so particular. They won’t be staying long anyway.”

Gu Bicheng frowned, “Even if it’s just for a day, it counts. Besides, this is their home. They’ll come back to live here in the future.”

Then he sighed, “Lin Qiao has had a hard life. All these years, it’s my fault… I didn’t find her sooner. She’s gone through a lot.”

The two children who had been looking at picture books nearby heard Lin Qiao’s name and ran over, “Dad, that Lin Qiao, isn’t she a maid?”

Gu Bicheng’s expression darkened, “Who told you that?”

“My mom and Aunt Wu next door,” said the girl, pointing at her mother.

Zhang Wenjuan: “…”

Gu Bicheng, angry, pointed at her, “What’s with your mouth…”

“I just mentioned it casually. We shouldn’t lie, right? Besides, it’s not shameful. It’s a new society now.”

Gu Bicheng chuckled, “Now that you’re the Women’s Federation director, you’ve got all the reasoning in the world. Fine, you can talk, take your time here. I’m leaving.”

Just like many years ago, when he was angry, he ran outside to meet his old friends.

The two children were dumbfounded but used to it. Seeing Zhang Wenjuan’s angry face, they quickly took the picture books upstairs.

Better not provoke him.

Gu Bicheng only stayed outside for three days before returning. After all, he couldn’t have his son and daughter-in-law return home without seeing him, the head of the family.

Before coming back, he even went to the old street to have a barber shave his beard. He looked much more presentable.

Looking at himself in the mirror again, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder—he had actually lived long enough to reach the age of a grandfather. So many old comrades, including Gu Shitou’s mother, Comrade Yurong, had sacrificed their lives.

“Comrade Yurong, your son is getting married. You’re going to be a grandmother.”

For a moment, he seemed to drift back to that war-torn era.

Back then, he had been truly young, starving nearly to death, and had followed a passing military unit, eventually joining the army.

He always felt that he had survived by a bit of luck, and later became a cadre.

Gu Shitou’s mother had been responsible for political work in the army, specifically handling ideological education and teaching literacy to young cadres. They were of compatible ages, so the organization introduced them. At first, Gu Bicheng thought there was no chance, but in the end, it actually worked out.

It was only just before the wedding that Gu Bicheng realized his wife was actually a female college student. She came from a scholarly family and was their only child. Because of an arranged marriage, she had been married once before. After her family gradually passed away, her former husband immediately got involved with another woman. At that point, she decisively filed for divorce in the newspaper. Later, somehow, she joined the organization.

Gu Bicheng knew very well that Comrade Yurong’s heart wasn’t with him.

Just as she had said, her heart had long been devoted to the organization, to the cause of communism.

At the time, Gu Bicheng himself had thought the same way—his passion entirely dedicated to fighting the Japanese. Even after Gu Shitou was born, there was very little interaction between them outside of work.

It wasn’t until she passed away that he vaguely realized something had been missing.

Now Gu Shitou was getting married, and it seemed he really liked Lin Qiao.

It could be said that some of the regrets of the past were finally being made up for.

The young people in the new society were truly living in a good era.